Arizona Hiking Shack

Name

Arizona Hiking Shack

Legal name

Arizona Hiking Shack, LLC.

Website

https://hikingshack.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Arizona Hiking Shack is a 52-year-old, owner-operated outdoor gear retailer and education provider based in a single 11,000 sq ft Phoenix, Arizona flagship, serving hikers, backpackers, climbers, and paddlers with technical equipment, custom fitting, rentals, and certified-instructor classes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Retail

NAICS

Recreational Goods Rental (532284), Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200)

akta.pro primary industry

Camping, Hiking & Backpacking Gear Retail (CRAMAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Camping, Hiking & Climbing Specialty Retail (CRAMABAM), Climbing & Mountaineering Gear Retail (CRAMAMAB), Adventure Equipment Rental Shops (Outdoor Gear, Camping, Climbing, Water Sports) (THAAALAI), Hiking, Trekking & Mountain Guiding (THAJABAA), Trail Nutrition & Outdoor Consumables Retail (CRAMAMAL)

Keywords

• Outdoor gear retail
• Hiking equipment
• Wilderness education
• Gear rental services
• Backpacking supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Product Sales: Sale of outdoor gear including footwear, backpacks, clothing, climbing equipment, tents, sleeping bags, water sports gear, stoves, emergency/first aid supplies, freeze-dried food, hydration products, maps, books, and prospecting equipment.
2. Equipment Rentals: Rental of water gear (single day), climbing gear (single day), and camping gear (5+ days). Rental cost can be applied toward purchase of new items. Additional days charged at 20% of 5-day rate.
3. Educational Classes: In-person classes on wilderness survival, backpacking 101, map & compass navigation, prepping 101, and survival hikes. Taught by certified specialists. Private/group options available at store or customer location.
4. Guided Adventures (Partner): Partnered with Mad Desert Trekking to offer guided hikes and climbing experiences in Phoenix/Scottsdale area.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Arizona Hiking Shack operates an outdoor recreation retail store and e-commerce site selling hiking, backpacking, climbing, paddling, and camping gear from premium brands (Petzl, Black Diamond, MSR, Kelty, Western Mountaineering, Jetboil). The company complements retail with a try-before-you-buy gear rental program (single-day water/climbing rentals and 5-day camping rentals, with rental cost applied toward new purchase) and an outdoor skills education program offering classes such as Backpacking 101, Wilderness Survival, Map & Compass Navigation, and Prepping 101 taught by certified instructors.

Product overview

Arizona Hiking Shack is an outdoor recreation retail and education business offering a comprehensive portfolio of outdoor gear products combined with experiential services. The core product offering consists of premium outdoor equipment spanning tents (Near Zero, Big Agnes, Kelty), sleeping bags (Western Mountaineering, Kelty), cooking systems (Jetboil, MSR), climbing gear (Black Diamond, Petzl), water filtration (Sawyer, Katadyn), backpacks (Kelty, CamelBak), and accessories across categories including camp, hike, climb, paddle, clothing, and safety/survival. The company complements its retail operations with two distinct service offerings: a gear rental program allowing customers to try equipment before purchasing, and a comprehensive outdoor skills education program featuring classes such as Backpacking 101, Wilderness Survival, and Map & Compass Navigation taught by certified specialists. Additionally, the company offers a Bargain Boneyard discount section for clearance items and partners with Mad Desert Trekking for guided adventure experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Near Zero 2P DynaLite Tent Lightweight 2-person 3-season backpacking tent with a rapid one-pole frame, dual access doors and vestibules, and a 3000mm hydrostatic rating for weatherproofing. Sold to backpackers and hikers.
• Jetboil Zip 0.8L Fast Boil System Compact backpacking cooking system with FluxRing technology that boils water in 120 seconds, featuring an insulating cozy and all-in-one packing design for trail cooking.
• Black Diamond Half Dome Helmet Climbing helmet with low-profile suspension, one-handed dial fit adjustment, EPS impact foam, and headlamp clips, designed for climber comfort and safety.
• Western Mountaineering TerraLite Sleeping Bag 25F Wide-profile sleeping bag from the Extremelite Series designed for side-sleeping comfort, featuring 12 denier ripstop nylon shell and dual-zipper design.
• Gear Rental Program Try-before-you-buy rental program offering water gear, climbing equipment (single-day rentals), and camping gear (5+ day rentals). Rental cost is credited toward purchase of new items; additional days charged at 20% of 5-day rate.
• Outdoor Skills Classes Educational classes including Backpacking 101 ($35/person, 3 hours), Wilderness Survival, Map & Compass Navigation ($50/person, 4 hours), CAMRA full-day Map & Compass workshop ($125/person, 8 hours), Desert Survival Hike, Prepping 101, and Surviving Santiago. Taught by specialist instructors with 15-student maximum sizes, with private/group options available.
• Guided Adventures (Mad Desert Trekking Partnership) Partner-provided guided hiking, rock climbing, rappelling, and canyoneering experiences in Phoenix and Scottsdale areas, with certified guides.
• Bargain Boneyard (Online Only) Discounted outdoor gear section featuring discontinued, overstocked, and clearance items across camping, climbing, clothing, and paddlesports categories.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mad Desert TrekkingcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 March 2025Arizona Hiking Shack partners with Mad Desert Trekking to offer expertly guided hikes, rock climbing, and rappelling adventures in the Metro Phoenix and Scottsdale area. Guides are certified in CPR/First Aid, Wilderness First Aid, or Wilderness First Responder. Operates with all necessary permits and insurance. Provides complementary experience to retail gear sales.
• AHS RESCUEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated organization providing wilderness rescue services and training. Associated with Central Arizona Mountain Rescue Association (CAMRA). Shares instructors with Arizona Hiking Shack classes.
• Sticker MuleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCustom sticker printing partner for promotional giveaways and branded merchandise. Used for promotional stickers included with purchases and retail sales of exclusive designs.
• Central Arizona Mountain Rescue Association (CAMRA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit search and rescue organization. Arizona Hiking Shack instructor Jonathan Mincks is a member. Collaborates on Map & Compass classes. Teaching PSAR (Preventative Search and Rescue) techniques.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Backcountry.com: Leading online specialty retailer for outdoor and adventure gear, carrying many of the same brands (Black Diamond, Petzl, MSR, Kelty). Direct competitor on e-commerce assortment, pricing, and shipping reach into Phoenix.
• Neptune Mountaineering: Single-location outdoor specialty retailer in Boulder, CO, with deep technical expertise, custom boot fitting, and curated premium brand selection. The most directly comparable single-store specialty outdoor peer to AHS.
• Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS): Specialty outdoor retailer selling hiking, camping, and climbing gear with educational clinics. Closely comparable vertical mix (retail + classes + outdoor skills) to AHS, though operating across multiple stores on the East Coast.
• REI Co-op: Largest U.S. outdoor specialty co-op operating retail stores, e-commerce, rental programs, and a broad outdoor education class catalog. Closest model-match to AHS at national scale, offering the same retail+rental+classes mix across hiking, camping, and climbing.
• Public Lands: Outdoor specialty retail chain (owned by Dick's Sporting Goods) carrying hiking, camping, and climbing gear with a strong in-store experience focus. Comparable specialty retail positioning with national scale AHS lacks.

Broad incumbents

• Sierra: Discount outdoor and active apparel retailer (T.J. Maxx family) carrying overstock and past-season outdoor gear at steep discounts. Competes with AHS on price for the same customer base across hiking, camping, and climbing categories.
• Moosejaw: Outdoor and active lifestyle retailer (acquired by Walmart) carrying hiking, camping, and climbing gear at competitive prices. A broader incumbent competing on assortment and pricing rather than local expertise.
• Patagonia Retail: Vertically integrated outdoor brand operating company-owned retail stores alongside a strong DTC e-commerce channel and environmental activism positioning. Overlaps with AHS on climbing, hiking, and outdoor culture, though brand-owned rather than multi-brand specialty.

Regional players

• Mountain Equipment Company (MEC): Canadian outdoor specialty co-op operating retail stores plus a comprehensive outdoor skills education program. Highly comparable retail + classes + community model, though primarily serving Canada rather than the U.S. Southwest.

Others

• Kelty: Heritage American outdoor brand supplying backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, and child carriers carried by AHS. Adjacent peer as a key vendor/partner brand whose product strategy and distribution directly shape AHS's assortment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ArizonaHikingShack
• Facebookfacebook.com/ArizonaHikingShack
• Instagraminstagram.com/hikingshack
• Xx.com/hikingshack
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ahs-adventures

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arizona Hiking Shack